The Hikarinin Exams
by Puuurple
Summary: Sasuke asks Naruto to participate in a tournament to become a Hikarinin, a slightly upgraded Genin. But there can be only one! Find out who beats who! Slightly implied NaruHina.
1. Chapter 1: What's a Hikarinin?

The Hikarinin Exams

Chapter One: What's a Hikarinin?

It all began one fateful day when Uzumaki Naruto, self proclaimed future Hokage was training out in the forests surrounding Konoha. He had stopped to rest for a moment, when he heard something above him in the trees.

"Hey, Naruto." it called out in a deep voice.

Naruto growled. "Sasuke! Come out!"

"Relax, idiot." responded Sasuke coolly, walking out from the shadows.

"What do you want?"

"To ask you something." said Sasuke, his tone shifting to a brighter one. (If that's even possible.)

"Well? Go ahead!" said Naruto.

"Are you participating in the Hikarinin Tournament tomorrow? All the Genin are coming, including the three from Sunagakure." asked Sasuke.

"…What's a Hikarinin?" asked Naruto, puzzled.

"…It's like a Genin, except there can only be one, you get a special white cloth for your forehead protector, and you can lead missions when there's nobody else available." said Sasuke.

"Oh. No thanks, then. I've got a lot of training to do." responded Naruto as he turned around and began molding a Rasengan.

"Hn. That's too bad, then." said Sasuke as he prepared to leave.

"Hey Sasuke," said Naruto. "Wait."

"What is it?"

"Why'd you ask me to come?"

"Because, I…" said Sasuke, trailing off.

"Yes?"

"All the Genin will be there, but I want to face you in a fair fight!" yelled Sasuke.

"I see. Then I'll definitely be there!" Naruto said, darting off back toward Leaf Village.

The next day, all the Genin were assembled at the arena behind the Ninja Academy. There were many spectators as well.

"Let's see who's here." said Naruto. "Sakura, Hinata, Neji, Kiba and Akamaru, Shino, those two guys hiding in the bushes, Choji, Ino, Shikamaru, Kankuro, Lee, Tenten, Temari, and Sasuke." he said, pointing to each one. "Hey, where's Short, Tan, and Sandy?" he said to a passing Kankuro.

"He's currently under containment of the police force in Sunagakure." responded Kankuro.

"…Why?" asked a confused Naruto.

"He couldn't open a cookie jar, so he got pissed and started killing villagers."

"That's Gaara for you."

Meanwhile, in the bushes, a bandaged figure with spiky fur on his back and a feminine figure with a mask continued watching silently.

The bandaged one looked up at the other. "…Are you even a Genin?"

The other one looked back down toward him. "…Maybe. But, aren't you dead?"

"Look who's talking." he responded.

"Let the Hikarinin Exams BEGIN!" yelled a voice. In front of the ninjas appeared Kakashi. "Now, we've previously selected your match-ups out of a hat."

"Is that even fair?" asked Shikamaru.

"Quiet!" said Mitarashi Anko, appearing behind him with one finger in front of his neck. "This is the way it will be."

"Now, the first match will be…

Aburame Shino!

Versus…" The crowd waited on in suspense as drops of sweat fell to the ground.

"HYUGA NEJI!"

The other genin disappeared from the makeshift battle arena except for the two combatants who stood on opposite corners. Kakashi stood between them. "Begin when you're ready." he said, and disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2: Shino versus Neji!

The Hikarinin Exams

Chapter Two: Shino Versus Neji!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters in this story.

The two Genin stood facing eachother in a staredown. Finally, Neji almost disappeared and began circling an unfaltered Shino at blinding speed. Shino's bugs began to come out and fly toward Neji, who continued to circle him. Finally, Neji stopped a distance behind Shino. He charged at him from behind, but stopped to see a wall of bugs forming behind Shino.

"_Mushi no Kabe!_ (Wall of Insects)" said Shino. The wall of destruction bugs flew toward Neji, knocking him to the ground. He quickly recovered, and attempted to throw a palm thrust into the wall."

"_Jyuken!_ (Gentle Fist)" yelled Neji, slamming his hand into them. There was a sharp smashing sound as Neji jumped backward and grasped his wrist in pain.

"No good," said Shino. "My destruction bugs eat Chakra. It's useless to use that. When you use a Jyuken, the bugs feast on your chakra, become stronger, and fortify like a wall of steel." The wall of bugs collapsed to the ground and returned to Shino. He grabbed a single bug and flicked it at Neji.

"Pretty good, but what are you going to do with one bug?" said Neji.

"Plenty." said Shino. He threw up a hand seal and yelled. "_Mushi Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! _(Insect Shadow Clone Technique)" The bug split into about twenty more and began flying at Neji even faster.

Neji stared at the bugs coming on toward him. He put his hands in the Hyuga stance.

"Now!" Shino said calmly. "_Mushi Kawarimi no Jutsu! _(Insect Replacement Technique)" All the bugs turned into whirling Shuriken and Kunai.

"You'll have to try harder!" said Neji. "_Hakkesho_ _Kaiten_! (Eight Trigrams Rotation)" The shurikens were harmlessly deflected by Neji's field of whirling Chakra. He stopped, panting, when something grabbed him from behind. Using his Byakugan, he could see that it was Shino. But looking deeper, he could see something that the others couldn't see.

"You're a bug clone." he said to the Shino behind him.

"Too late." it responded. The real Shino charged at him with a kunai.

"You've forgotten who you're up against." said Neji. "HAHHH!" he cried out, emitting a massive burst of chakra from all over his body. The bug clone barely moved.

"They eat Chakra, fool!" said Shino.

"Then let's give them more than they can handle." said Neji. He growled as a massive amount of chakra exploded from him. Time seemed to slow down around him. "Just…a bit more…!" he said as he felt his body burning from the sudden massive emission of chakra. Finally, the bug clone began to boil. It exploded into a mass of greenish blood, which Neji whirled around through and slung into Shino's face. He stopped in his tracks and screamed.

"_Hakke: Rokujuyon Sho! _(Eight Trigrams Sixty Four Palms)" he said. A trigram appeared on the ground surrounding them. Neji rushed in to finish him.

"Two strikes!" he said, tapping Shino in two of his tenkutsu. He then whirled around.

"Four strikes!" he said again. The attacks continued to grow faster.

"Eight strikes!" He tapped Shino eight times, closing even more chakra points.

"Sixteen strikes!" The crowd began to stare. Shino winced in pain, but you could hardly tell beyond his bloodspattered collar and his sunglasses.

"Thirty-two strikes!" Neji's hands became a blur of chakra and bandages.

"Sixty-four strikes!" Neji said, slamming his palms into Shino's tenkutsu. The move was complete. Shino was on his knees, gasping for air. Neji walked up to him.

"Shino… Stop bugging me." Neji said, and flicked him in the forehead with a burst of chakra, sending him spiraling out of the arena.

Kakashi appeared in the arena in a puff of smoke.

"Hyuga Neji has won this match and will now advance. Next match's combatants are…

Hyuga Hinata…

and….

U…" Kakashi stopped after the first letter for dramatic tension.

"So, it's Sasuke?" thought Hinata.

"…zumaki Naruto!" Kakashi finished, then began to read his new book, Make-Out Violence.

"ALRIGHT! Time to go wild!" yelled Naruto.

Sakura kneeled down near Hinata.

"Hinata? You there?" she asked. She tapped Hinata on the shoulder lightly, and the Hyuga girl fell down flat on her back.

Hinata regained consciousness when she felt someone grab her hand. It was Naruto. "Hinata. I want you to fight with everything you have, okay? Don't go easy on me."

"If t-that's what y-you want, N-Naruto." She stumbled into the arena, it finally clicked that Naruto was holding her hand, and she fell down again.

"Hinata, do your best!"

"N…n…Naruto…" she said. "I won't go easy on you!" She was changing already.

"Begin when you're ready…hee…hee…GAHAHAHAHA!" Kakashi said, reading his book while walking away. He tripped over the fence and landed flat on his face.

"Some sensei he is…" thought Sakura.

This story is actually kind of old. I still have another chapter to upload.


	3. Chapter 3: All's Fair in Love and War!

The Hikarinin Exams

Chapter Three: Naruto versus Hinata: All's Fair in Love and War!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

"_Byakugan!_" said Hinata, as the veins around her eyes began to bulge. She assumed a weak Hyuga stance.

"Take this!" Naruto yelled. The idiot was attempting a full head on charge. "HIYAH!" he shouted, attempting an overhand punch. Hinata quietly intercepted his arm with a great burst of chakra. Naruto screamed and flew backward, rolling across the ground. The crowd gasped.

"N-N-Naruto!" Hinata yelled, and rushed over to his side. Naruto looked up at her. "Gotcha!" he said, and then swung his leg around and tripped her, knocking her to the ground with a thud.

"Hinata…you said you'd fight me for real!" Naruto said, standing back up.

"I…I…"

Naruto interrupted her before she could finish. "_Taiyjuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! _(Mass Shadow Clone Technique)" he said, putting up the hand seal. A good twenty clones appeared before Hinata.

Three of them charged her blindly. She dropped to the ground, performing a sweep kick, and then tapping them all with a Jyuken as they sailed above her, causing them to dissipate.

Another Naruto threw a kunai at her. She easily sidestepped it. Sailing behind her, it stopped at the arena border…and turned into Naruto!

"…He really needs some new moves, doesn't he?" said Sakura from the sidelines.

The newly transformed Naruto whirled around and threw a kunai at her. She smiled and put her hand toward it. "Kunai Returning Technique!" she said, and with a burst of chakra, the kunai flew back toward the Naruto clone and they both disappeared in a burst of smoke.

Five more clones spread out in a line and began to rush at her, curving toward her. Spreading both arms out in a line, she used a beam of chakra from her fingertips to destroy them easily.

"Wow. Either Hinata's really good…" said Ino.

"Or Naruto's an idiot." finished Shikamaru. "…You know what? This is kind of troublesome. I'm going to take a nap." he said, and laid down in the grass.

The next five clones jumped at her one by one. The first one delivered a swift kick which connected with her forearm, leaving a bruised cut from the pressure. It disappeared having served its purpose. The next one slid toward her on all fours and jumped into the air, and the one after that jumped onto its back. She sidestepped them both causing them to crash into the fence. The final two stood at each other's side and jumped into the air, did a front flip, and extended one leg toward Hinata, somehow pausing in midair.

"Dynamic Entry! Naruto Style!" they said, and mysteriously sailed toward her, delivering two kicks to the chest. She whipped her arms up and delivered two punches to their legs, causing them to dissipate.

"That was a youthful technique." said Lee to Tenten, who sighed.

Hinata stopped on her knees, a tendril of blood hanging from the side of her mouth. "Five are left…" she thought as she gasped for air. "…which means I have a one in four chance of hitting the real one."

The Naruto clones spread out leaving distance between them. They began to surround her.

"He's going to use…that technique!" she thought, opening her eyes wide.

"Hinata…forgive me!" he said. Four of the clones charged in, each saying a syllable of his name as they delivered an upward kick to her.

"U!

ZU!

MA!

KI!"

She sailed upward into the air as the real Naruto loomed above her.

"NARUTO…" he said, preparing to deliver an axe kick to her head.

He swung his foot downward…and it stopped abruptly.

Hinata had grabbed his ankle.

"WHA?" cried Naruto as he was swung under Hinata. She did a forward flip, delivered a strong elbow to his chest, then whirled around again, placed one hand on his upper stomach, and with a blast of chakra sent him spiraling to the ground.

"Whoa! How did she do that?" asked Sakura to Kiba.

"Oh. Hinata's so obsessed with Naruto that she studied every one of his moves and came up with feasible counters." he responded.

"I'm getting…beat…" said Naruto, looking at his bruised and bloody hands. In one of them, a Rasengan began to form. He leapt to his feet and acting through what little stamina he had left, he leapt at the standing Hinata. At the last second she, without thinking, tapped the top of his hand, redirecting his Rasengan to the ground. The explosion caused them both to fall to the ground.

Naruto rolled away from her.

"That's it…then. I'm going to have to call on that…stupid fox!" he said, grunting. At that, Hinata stood and raised one hand into the air.

"What's this…? Some kind of new technique?" Naruto thought.

"I'm sorry…n-Naruto." she said, an unshed tear forming in her eye. "but I, Hyuga Hinata, b-b-being of sound mind and c-c-clear conscience hereby forfeit the Hikarinin Exams."

"Hyuga Hinata is unable to battle." said Kakashi, returning to the arena. "Naruto wins." Cheering came from everyone around the arena as the two ninjas leapt over the fence.

"The Hikarinin exams will resume in five minutes…hee…hee." said Kakashi, still reading Make-Out Violence.

As Hinata walked away from the Ninja Academy arena, Naruto stopped her, pulling her into an alley before she could get too far.

"Hinata..." he said. "Why did you stop? Why didn't you follow through?" he asked.

"I…I…" she said, blushing.

"Answer me, Hinata. Tell me why you always hide from me. Why you always faint when I come near you."

"…N-Naruto…It's…it's b-b-because I…"

An explosion was heard from near the Ninja Academy. Naruto turned around to see what happened.

"Exploding tags…? But it hasn't even been five minutes yet!" he said. "Hinata, we have to go see what's happening!" He grabbed her hand, and they both ran back toward the academy.

As they approached, Naruto saw two individuals standing behind a nearby bush. One of them had a mask, the other a bandaged head. A massive cloud of smoke emanated from a large hole in the ground close to them, where an exploding tag had gone off.

"Wait a minute!" he yelled. "You're Dosu and Haku! Why didn't I notice you hiding over there earlier?" He stopped to think. "…Hey, aren't you dead?"

"I told you he'd know! I TOLD YOU!" said Dosu.

"We've come," said Haku, "to put an end to the Hikarinin exams, and get revenge on the people that killed us."

CLIFFHANGER. That's all I have written. So, review please. I'm taking suggestions, so anything helps. I kind of have the next chapter planned but I'm still open for ideas.


	4. Chapter 4: Unexpected Interruptions!

The Hikarinin Exams

Chapter Four: Unexpected Interruption! Dosu and Haku Return!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

"We've come," said Haku, "to put an end to the Hikarinin exams, and get revenge on the people that killed us."

"And we've gotten a lot stronger, fools. Prepare to be torn limb from limb." he said.

Sasuke walked out from the crowd, staring at Haku. "So have we." he said. He leapt toward Haku with one fist held back. He slid past Haku, attempted to punch him…

and got a fistful of water.

"Water clone!?" he said in a panic. Instantly a sharp piercing sensation in his back confirmed his suspicion. He attempted to stand up and remove the senbon, but Haku simply kicked him to the ground again.

"This time," said Haku, "I'll kill you for real!"

"No. Let me." said Dosu. He began to fashion out a combination of hand seals extremely fast.

"_Forbidden Technique; S…"_

"_KONOHA SENPUU! _(Leaf Whirlwind)" yelled a voice from the crowd. Instantly, Rock Lee flew out and interrupted Dosu's jutsu with a whirling kick. Dosu flew backwards a distance, and landed.

Of course, who would have expected him to land at the feet of none other than Sabaku no Gaara?

"So…" said Gaara, "Me killing you once just wasn't good enough?" he asked.

"I…I…I…." Dosu was apparently at a loss of words.

"_SABAKU KYU!_ (Desert Coffin)" he said, extending one hand toward Dosu. The sand enveloped Dosu, lifting him off the ground as it did. He attempted to break free but the sand slowly crushed his body.

"First…" said Gaara, "I'm going to break everything but your spine." he said. Clenching his fist tighter, the sand became tighter as well. It closed in on Dosu, causing him to scream as his bones snapped.

"_SABAKU SOSO!_ (Desert Funeral)"

Gaara completely closed his hand.

There was an explosion of blood.

"Now…" said Gaara, his sand shielding him from the blood. "I'm going to finish the other one too."

He and everyone else looked around for Haku, but he was already gone.

"Gaara…? Why'd you come?" asked Temari.

"I'm here," he said, "for the Hikarinin Exams."

The jonin looked at eachother and began to talk quietly. Finally they decided it would be okay to let Gaara into the Hikarinin Exams.

"We've decided to allow Gaara to participate in the exams, however some things will have to be changed in order to accommodate this." said Yuuhi Kurenai. "We'll handle this when it comes."

"Right off the bat, the next match…" said Kakashi, "will be…

Sabaku no Gaara

versus…

Sabaku no Kankuro."

The crowd gasped. They looked at the two, talked for a moment, then left the arena, leaving Kankuro and Gaara behind.

"You should listen to your brother more…" said Kankuro.

"Don't tell me what to do." responded Gaara.

Everything fell silent. The match was about to begin.

That was a quick chapter. Nobody expects Kankuro versus Gaara. What do you think? R&R, please. 


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